History

History of End Child Hunger SC

Feeding America reported in 2015, 27% of children in South Carolina struggle with hunger. The Midlands Family Study conducted out of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities at the University of South Carolina spoke with about 550 families living in 8 Midlands counties (Richland, Kershaw, Lancaster, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Fairfield, Chester, and Clarendon) and 45 stakeholders to determine how households and communities can protect children against hunger. The overall findings of the study showed that families whose children had experienced hunger within the past year reported more illnesses, deaths, loss of jobs, or other negative life events, while at the same time making less money, receiving less in SNAP benefits (previously known as food stamps), and having less support from family and friends, as compared for food insecure and food secure families. Further, stakeholders spoke of the need to address hunger through creating changes in communities, programs, and policy.

Recognizing the need to address child hunger in South Carolina based on the aforementioned findings, a group of stakeholders came together as the Richland County Child Hunger Forum the summer of 2013, The group voted in 2015 to change its name to End Child Hunger SC. End Child Hunger SC’s mission is dedicated to advocating and organizing individuals to end child hunger in the Midlands, and eventually to collaborate with groups doing similar work in other regions of the state.

End Child Hunger SC aims to build awareness, increase community capacity, and create a coordinated effort to address child hunger in SC.